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JAWS HR/CMS Navigational Reference Guide for Employees/Approvers

The following information is designed for JAWS (Screen Reader) users to use and navigate Employee and Manager Self-Service.

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HR/CMS Navigational Reference Guide - Employees

The Employee Self Service Home Page (with Accessibility) for HR/CMS is a fluid tile page allowing employees the ability to review and navigate to functional areas for task completion and information review. Upon logging into Employee Self Service, the page has five (5) form navigation selections and six (6) tile links. This guide is an introduction to the information available within this page.

Employee Important Reminders:

  • Employees of Agencies that utilize the MassHR Employee Service Center should contact the Employee Service Center with questions by calling 1-855-4HR-SPPT (1-855-447-7778) or for TTY users: (617) 248-0546.
  • Employees of Agencies that do not use Employee Service Center should contact their Agency Human Resources or Payroll Department with questions.

Employee Quick Tips:

  • When navigating a Links List, press the HOME key to go to the top of the list, then use the link’s first letter to move to a particular link and press ENTER.
  • You will be able to access and return to the Personal Information Folder Link, through the Insert + F7 to access the Links List menu and the subsequent pages below.
  • Press Insert + F5 to pull up the Forms List Dialogue box in order to verify and review any information you entered in any editable fields. You can also use the JAWS Quick Form F key to move among the available editable fields.
  • Press insert + F6 to pull up the Headings List Dialogue box which allows you to quickly move to a given section on the page.  You can also use the JAWS Quick Headings H key to move around the headings on the page.
  • When there are tables on a page, you can use the JAWS Quick Table T key to move among the tables on the page.

Employee JAWS Navigational Instructions:

  • After you login into HRCMS, the focus by default will be on the Home Page Button. Non Approver Employees will only have the Employee Self Service homepage available. If you are a time approver you will have access to the Manager Self Service homepage.
  • To be able to go to a particular quick link, you can either use the Tab key to navigate through each one, or you can press Insert +F5 to access the Form Field list or Insert +F7 to access the Links List and select the specific link you desire, or Insert + F6 to access the Heading List and select a specific heading.
    • After pressing Insert +F5, the form fields appear in a List selection box on the screen such as Homepage button, Home Button, Notifications button, Actions button, and Refresh button. For example, if you wanted to select Notifications, press the Down Arrow until you hear Notifications button pronounced or press the N key until you hear the same. Press the Insert+F5 shortcut key again to pull up the forms List Dialogue box in order to verify or review any other information you entered in any editable fields.
    • After pressing Insert+F6, available headings appear in a Headings  List selection box on the screen such as Timesheet, and Reported Time Status. For example, if you wanted to select the Reported Time Status heading, press the Down Arrow until you hear Reported Time Status pronounced or press the R key you hear the same.
    • After pressing Insert+F7, available links appear in a Links List selection box on the screen such as Timesheet and Personal Details. For example, if you wanted to select the Timesheet link, press the Down Arrow until you hear Timesheet pronounced or press the T key you hear the same.
  • After you select a particular link, and click enter, the page may not be focused correctly. To have the correct focus on the page, you need to press the H key. This will help you go to the top heading of the page. For example: If you go on Timesheet page, the default focus can be on the Date Required field or the Submit button in some cases. After you hit the H key, the focus will go to the top heading Timesheet.
  • Table Navigation - Often the information on the HR/CMS pages are presented in tables such a the Timesheet table. You can move to the tables on a page by using the JAWS Quick Table T key.  When you are within a table the information for a given cell will be announced by JAWS along with the hearing for that column. For example, Personal Details – Contact Details – Phones , you would hear Number 617-999-1234. You need to user the table navigation commands within a given table to move among the table elements, e.g. Control (Ctrl) + the arrows up, down, right and left.
  • After you are done with transactions on a specific page, and you require access to another link, you need to press Insert+F5 again and to access the homepage button.

Employee Self Service navigation buttons

  • Home Page button: By default shows Employee Self Service homepage. If you are a time approver you will have the option to switch to the Manager Self Service homepage
  • Home button: The Home button will take you back to the Employee Self Service home page.
  • Notification button: The Notification button will take you to your current notifications.
  • Actions button: The Actions button contains Refresh, New Window, My Preferences and Sign Out.
    • My Preferences: The My Preferences link directs the employee to a page where they can turn Accessibility Layout on or off.

Employee Self Service Available Tiles

  • Announcements: The announcements tile directs the user to a page where they can view employee announcements.
  • Timesheet: The Timesheet tile directs the employee to a page where details for time worked for a day, week, or specific time period are reported.
  • Personal Details: This tile directs the employee to a page that contains the following tile selections.
    • Addresses: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can review and update home and mailing addresses.
    • Additional Information: This tile directs the employee to a page that displays additional personal information for view only.
    • Contact Details: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can add, review and update phone numbers and email addresses.
    • Disability: This tile contains the Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form.
    • Emergency Contacts: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can add, review and update emergency contact information.
    • Ethnic Groups: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can add or update ethnic groups or specify a primary ethnic group.
    • Gender Identity: This tile contains information for employees to voluntarily provide gender identity details.
    • Health and Safety: This tile contains information for employees to provide COVID vaccination details if required.
    • Name: This tile directs employees to a page where they can update their preferred first name. 
    • Talent Profile: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can manage professional skills, competencies, and accomplishments in their current employee profile.
  • Payroll: The payroll tile directs the employee to a page that contains the following tile selections.
    • Direct Deposit: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can add or update their direct deposit information.
    • Paychecks: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can review current and prior paycheck advice(s).
    • Reimbursement: This tile contains information for employees that are approved to submit reimbursements via self-service. You will not see tile if you do not have access. 
    • State Tax M-4 Information: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can review and/or update their State Tax M-4 Information.
    • W-2/W-2c Consent: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can grant or withdraw consent to receive electronic W-2 and W-2c forms.
    • W-2/W-2c Forms: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can view electronic W-2 and W-2c forms.
    • W-4 Tax Information: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can review or change W-4 tax information.
  • Benefit Details: The Benefit Details tile directs the employee to a page that contains the following tile selections.
    • Form 1095-C Consent: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can grant or withdraw consent to receive electronic 1095-C forms.
    • Paid Family and Medical Leave: This tile directs the employee to a page that provides notice of the benefits and the employer/employee contributions for the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.
    • View Form 1095-C: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can view electronic 1095-C forms.
  • Support: The Support tile directs the employee to a page that contains the following tile selections.
    • Contact Employee SVC Center: The Contact Employee SVC Center tile takes the employee to the Employee Self Service Center web page.
    • Delegations: The Delegations tile directs a manager/approver to a page where they can delegate authority for self-service transactions and review and revoke delegation requests or where a non-approver can accept or decline a delegation request.
    • MassCareers: The MassCareers tile directs the employee to a page where they can opt in or out to authorize their data for MassCareers use.
    • My System Profile: The My System Profile link directs the employee to a page where they can set up personal preferences such as email and language preferences.
    • Change My Password: The Change My Password link directs the employee to a page where they can change or update their employee self-service log on password.

HR/CMS Navigational Reference Guide - Managers

The Employee Self Service Home Page (with Accessibility) for HR/CMS is a fluid tile page allowing employees the ability to review and navigate to functional areas for task completion and information review. Upon logging into Employee Self Service, the home page button has two selections for Manager/Approvers. They are the Employee Self Service homepage and the Manager Self Service homepage. The Employee Self Service homepage has six (6) tile links and the Manager Self Service homepage tab has four (4) tile links supporting each tab respectively. This guide is an introduction to the various links available within each page

Managers Important Reminders:

  • Employees of Agencies that utilize the MassHR Employee Service Center should contact the Employee Service Center with questions by calling 1-855-4HR-SPPT (1-855-447-7778) or for TTY users: (617) 248-0546.
  • Employees of Agencies that do not use Employee Service Center should contact their Agency Human Resources or Payroll Department with questions.

Managers Quick Tips:

  • When navigating a Links List, press the HOME key to go to the top of the list, then use the link’s first letter to move to a particular link and press ENTER.
  • You will be able to access and return to the Personal Information Folder Link, through the Insert + F7 to access the Links List menu and the subsequent pages below.
  • Press Insert + F5 to pull up the Forms List Dialogue box in order to verify and review any information you entered in any editable fields. You can also use the JAWS Quick Form F key to move among the available editable fields.
  • Press insert + F6 to pull up the Headings List Dialogue box which allows you to quickly move to a given section on the page.  You can also use the JAWS Quick Headings H key to move around the headings on the page.
  • When there are tables on a page, you can use the JAWS Quick Table T key to move among the tables on the page.

Managers JAWS Navigational Instructions:

  • After you login into HRCMS, the focus by default will be on the Home Page button drop down. Non Approver Employees will only have the Employee Self Service homepage available. If you are a time approver you will have access to the Manager Self Service homepage.
  • To access Manager Self Service from the Home Page, press Insert+ F5 and select the Manager Self Service link. Then press the Enter key two times. The first time Enter key will select the Manager Self Service tab, the second time Enter key will then display the links below the tab.
  • To be able to go to a particular quick link, you can either use the Tab key to navigate through each one, or you can press Insert +F5 to access the Form Field list or Insert +F7 to access the Links List and select the specific link you desire, or Insert + F6 to access the Heading List and select a specific heading.
    • After pressing Insert +F5, quick links appear in a Links List selection box on the screen such as Favorites Menu,Main Menu, My Page, and My Team. For example, if you wanted to select the Self Service link, press the Down Arrow until you hear Self Service Tab pronounced or press the S key until you hear the same. Press the Insert+F5 shortcut key again to pull up the forms List Dialogue box in order to verify or review any other information you entered in any editable fields.
    • After pressing Insert+F6, available headings appear in a Headings  List selection box on the screen such as Timesheet, and Reported Time Status. For example, if you wanted to select the Reported Time Status heading, press the Down Arrow until you hear Reported Time Status pronounced or press the R key you hear the same.
    • After pressing Insert+F7, all quick links appear in a Links List selection box on the screen such as Timesheet and Home and Mailing Address. For example, if you wanted to select the Timesheet link, press the Down Arrow until you hear Timesheet pronounced or press the T key you hear the same.
  • After you select a particular link, and click enter, the page will be displayed on the right hand side of the Self Service quick links. To have the correct focus on the page, you need to press the H key. This will help you go to the top heading of the page. For example: If you go on Timesheet page, the default focus can be on the Date Required field or the Submit button in some cases. After you hit the H key, the focus will go to the top heading Timesheet.
  • Table Navigation - Often the information on the HR/CMS pages are presented in tables such a the Timesheet table. You can move to the tables on a page by using the JAWS Quick Table T key.  When you are within a table the information for a given cell will be announced by JAWS along with the hearing for that column. For example, Personal Details – Contact Details – Phones , you would hear Number 617-999-1234. You need to user the table navigation commands within a given table to move among the table elements, e.g. Control (Ctrl) + the arrows up, down, right and left.
  • After you are done with transactions on a specific page, and you require access to another link, you need to press Insert+F7 again and to access the quick links list..

Employee Self Service navigation buttons

  • Home Page button: By default shows Employee Self Service homepage. If you are a time approver you will have the option to switch to the Manager Self Service homepage
  • Home button: The Home button will take you back to the Employee Self Service home page.
  • Notification button: The Notification button will take you to your current notifications.
  • Actions button: The Actions button contains Refresh, New Window, My Preferences and Sign Out.
    • My Preferences: The My Preferences link directs the employee to a page where they can turn Accessibility Layout on or off.

Employee Self Service Available Tiles

  • Announcements: The announcements tile directs the user to a page where they can view employee announcements.
  • Timesheet: The Timesheet tile directs the employee to a page where details for time worked for a day, week, or specific time period are reported.
  • Personal Details: This tile directs the employee to a page that contains the following tile selections.
    • Addresses: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can review and update home and mailing addresses.
    • Additional Information: This tile directs the employee to a page that displays additional personal information for view only.
    • Contact Details: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can add, review and update phone numbers and email addresses.
    • Disability: This tile contains the Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form.
    • Emergency Contacts: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can add, review and update emergency contact information.
    • Ethnic Groups: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can add or update ethnic groups or specify a primary ethnic group.
    • Gender Identity: This tile contains information for employees to voluntarily provide gender identity details.
    • Health and Safety: This tile contains information for employees to provide COVID vaccination details if required.
    • Name: This tile directs employees to a page where they can update their preferred first name. 
    • Talent Profile: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can manage professional skills, competencies, and accomplishments in their current employee profile.
  • Payroll: The payroll tile directs the employee to a page that contains the following tile selections.
    • Direct Deposit: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can add or update their direct deposit information.
    • Paychecks: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can review current and prior paycheck advice(s).
    • Reimbursement: This tile contains information for employees that are approved to submit reimbursements via self-service. You will not see tile if you do not have access. 
    • State Tax M-4 Information: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can review and/or update their State Tax M-4 Information.
    • W-2/W-2c Consent: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can grant or withdraw consent to receive electronic W-2 and W-2c forms.
    • W-2/W-2c Forms: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can view electronic W-2 and W-2c forms.
    • W-4 Tax Information: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can review or change W-4 tax information.
  • Benefit Details: The Benefit Details tile directs the employee to a page that contains the following tile selections.
    • Form 1095-C Consent: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can grant or withdraw consent to receive electronic 1095-C forms.
    • Paid Family and Medical Leave: This tile directs the employee to a page that provides notice of the benefits and the employer/employee contributions for the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.
    • View Form 1095-C: This tile directs the employee to a page where they can view electronic 1095-C forms.
  • Support: The Support tile directs the employee to a page that contains the following tile selections.
    • Contact Employee SVC Center: The Contact Employee SVC Center tile takes the employee to the Employee Self Service Center web page.
    • Delegations: The Delegations tile directs a manager/approver to a page where they can delegate authority for self-service transactions and review and revoke delegation requests or where a non-approver can accept or decline a delegation request.
    • MassCareers: The MassCareers tile directs the employee to a page where they can opt in or out to authorize their data for MassCareers use.
    • My System Profile: The My System Profile link directs the employee to a page where they can set up personal preferences such as email and language preferences.
    • Change My Password: The Change My Password link directs the employee to a page where they can change or update their employee self-service log on password.

Manager Self Service Available Tiles

  • Alerts: The Alerts tile shows alerts for your employees.
  • Manage Employee Time: The Manage Employee tile directs the employee to a page where they can view and manage their employees time and exceptions.
  • Manager WorkCenter: The Manager WorkCenter tile directs the employee to a page where they can view job and personal information for their employees.
    HR Analytics: This tile contains a link to the HR Analytics system. You will not see tile if you do not have access.

Employee Self-Service Tip Sheet for JAWS Users

Common Shortcut Keys for Employee Self-Service

Control+I or Alt+A Opens Favorite list
Insert+Down Arrow Reads from the cursor down
Insert+F5 This key combination opens the Select a Form List. Generally the Insert+F5 combination is used to locate a cell in a table where you can enter information. For example, login ID, password, or reported hours.

On the Employee Self Service Home page, the Insert+F5 displays the following five links: Homepage button, Home button, Notification button, Actions button and Refresh button.
Insert+F6 This key combination opens the Headings List.
Insert+F7 This key combination opens the Links List.
Note: Once a list is open, use the up and down arrow to find the link you are looking for. If you know the name of the link you may press the first letter in the link’s name. Press the same letter again to cycle through the links that have the same first letter in their name.
Insert+Control+T This key combination opens the Table List.
Alt+D This key combination moves the cursor to the address
Escape This key forces an exit from Form/PC cursor mode.
Control+Home This key combination takes to the top of the page.
Insert+Down Arrow Reads from the line where the cursor is and continues down the page.
Down Arrow Says next line.
Up Arrow Says prior line.
Right Arrow Says next character.
Left Arrow Says prior character.
Control+F Opens JAWS Find dialogue box. Use this function to find a particular word or phrase on the page. Once the box is open, type the word you are searching for, and use the F3 to cycle through similar words on the page.
Alt+Down Arrow This key combination opens a combo box. Once the box is open use the up and down arrow and JAWS will read the different available options.
B Says Next button. Press B again to cycle through any other available buttons on the page.
C Says the Next Combo Box. Press C again to cycle through any other available Combo box on the page.
H Says next heading. Press H again to cycle through any other available headings on the page.
T Says Next Table. Press T again to cycle through any other tables available on the page.

You may favor or use different keys to navigate and complete the timesheet depending on you level of comfort as a JAWS user. These shortcuts were tested using JAWS 13 and apply to Self Service Time and Attendance HTML pages.

Get to the Employee Self-Service Login Page and Save to the Favorite Folder

Step 1. Open your Internet Browser

Step 2. Press Alt+D, this moves the cursor into the address bar and automatically selects the current address.

Step 3. Type the following address in the address bar: mass.gov/masshr and press the Enter key. This displays the MassHR home page.

Step 4. On the MassHR home page Press Control+F, to open the JAWS Find dialogue box.

Step 5. Once the box is open, type the words, enter my time, and press the Enter key. This will select the Enter my Time and Attendance link.

Step 6. Press the Enter key. This opens the Employee Self-Service login page.

Step 6. Once the login page is open, press Control+D. this will open the Add a Favorite dialogue box.

Step 7. Press the Enter key to add the page to your Favorites.

Find the Employee Self-Service Link in the Favorite List

Step 1. Press Control+I or Alt+A, this opens your list of all saved favorite sites

Step 2. Arrow up and down until the Employee Self-Service link is selected and press the Enter key.

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